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Click the Class Title for a short description
Current Registration form and Schedule are below
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The methodology used at the Fieldwood Dog Training Center is positive and motivational. The person providing the training techniques is the instructor; however, the person bringing the dog to school is the teacher who trains the dog. Developing good training techniques strengthens the bond and respect between dog and human. Any dog can succeed with patience, perseverance and persistence by the owner. Please Note: Not all classes are offered every session. Check the class schedule and registration form below for current schedule. If you see a class you are interested in but it is not offered this session, please give us a call. |
Puppy Kindergarten What a puppy learns - an adult dog remembers. That is the premise on which our Puppy Kindergarten is based. Training the young pup should begin as soon as he enters his new home and continue throughout his life. As important as learning basic commands is the opportunity at puppy school to socialize the young dog. Our Puppy Kindergarten provides a forum for dogs to interact on and off lead. 
Movin' On Up! (for our Puppy K grads) The Movin' On Up class (previously named Advanced Puppy) has been developed especially for puppies having completed our Puppy Kindergarten class. These graduates are about six or seven months old now and "movin' on" into an adolescent stage of growth. We call this the "teen" years for dogs. These pups are now a little older, more independent, and, if all of us did our jobs well, more confident. With these new attributes we see a seven-month-old being perhaps less responsive to our desires (as in sit, down, etc.). We know that many shelters and rescue groups are filled with "adolescent" dogs simply because families don't know how to deal with them during this stage of their lives. Our feeling is that keeping that young dog in a class will help work through issues that were not there during Puppy K that may be emerging as the pup moves on up into a new growth period. In Movin' On Up we have a greater expectation that the dogs perform promptly. We continue to work on foundation commands such as sit and stay, down and stay, come, and walking under control all the while having fun training our dogs.
Basic Training, Manners This class is designed for dogs over six months who have not had a basic obedience course and for dogs who would benefit by repeating. Training techniques are presented to owners who want their dogs to learn to sit, lie down, stay, come, keep all fours on the floor, and walk with a slack leash. These techniques are for owners to use in everyday life to help their pet become and remain a well mannered member of the family. We believe it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks!
There is no fixed curriculum for this class – the instructor will select exercises and activities that work best for each specific group of dogs. It is designed as a “repeatable” class, and can be taken multiple times while still providing interesting learning opportunities for the dog and handler. The group class setting will also provide an environment to continue your dog’s socialization. Class activities may cover any of the following: strengthening loose leash walking, stay, and coming when called; heeling; wait at doorways/gates/car door; leave-it; getting and keeping your dog’s attention; greeting dogs and people; introduction to clicker training; working outdoors; practicing obedience through trying canine sports (Rally-O, Agility, Freestyle); fun relationship-building games; and teaching your dog self-control. Class
will cover: orientation and practice on each test
item on the CGC/TDI tests; exercises that promote a healthy working
relationship with your dog so that you can better enjoy your lives
together.
Look Ma, No Hands! Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. This class focuses on the obedience skills needed to safely allow the dog the freedom to be off leash. Great emphasis is placed on the "recall" or ensuring the dog comes reliably when called. For the dog's safety, the owners' verbal control of the dog is a must, and this class revisits and strengthens the basic obedience skills taught in the Basic or Puppy classes.
Helping the Reactive Dog Does your dog overly react to people, dogs, or other stimlus? This class could be for you. The Reactive Dog Class is designed for dogs who have issues with other dogs and/or people. The goal of the Reactive Dog Class is for the owner and dog to be able to simply walk down the street or attend a class in the presence of other dogs and people without the dog reacting in a way that makes the owner feel uncomfortable. Reactive Dog Class is a clicker-based curriculum developed by Emma Parsons, the author of Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog. Fieldwood instructors Lisa Basial and Ann Withun will instruct this class jointly, having learned these techniques from Emma Parsons directly. Due to the specialized nature of this class requiring small class size and individualized instruction, the fee for this class is $150. This class will be limited to 4-6 dogs and the session will last 6 week class. Week 1 is an special 1 ½ to 2 hour orientation for the owners (without dogs) and the remaining classes are an hour and fifteen minutes. There is no prerequisite for this class, and there are no behaviors or history that would disqualify a dog from attending this class.
Intro to Clicker Training Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. The clicker is a training tool that gives us a new and unique way to communicate with our dogs. Most dogs enjoy clicker training because it gives them the opportunity to use their own creativity and problem-solving ability to learn the behaviors that you are teaching. Whatever your training goals may be - more solid basic manners, agility, obedience, fun tricks, or to improve your working relationship with your dog - clicker training can be an excellent way to help you and your dog reach them. Intro to IMPROV Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. IMPROV (Impromptu Multifarious Performance Requiring Obedience and Versatility) is a fun game where you and your dog team up to accomplish different challenges. Your dog could be asked to go over, under, around, or through something; to do something with an object or get to a certain place; or just about anything – the idea is that you just never know what’s in store for you (but you can depend on having a great time.) In IMPROV you and your dog will use ingenuity and teamwork and “cheating” is legal - we call it Lateral Thinking - and it’s encouraged! Each week in class we’ll set up challenges selected from the six exercises included in IMPROV and you and your dog will get to see what you can do! We’ll also work on building some useful and versatile skills in your dog that come in handy in IMPROV and in everyday life such as: being able to do what you ask even a small distance away from you, and without treats; fetching all kinds things for you; being confident coming into contact with strange surfaces, objects, and noises; performing the skills they know in new and distracting situations; and you’ll get to practice communicating with and motivating your dog. You’ll be surprised at what your dog can do! IMPROV is a fun game and also a new competition sport. This class will prepare you to enter our IMPROV trial this summer if you’d like to give it a try. IMPROV is fun for dogs with all levels of training. The whole idea of IMPROV is for the handler to bring out the very best in their individual dog. You can find the official IMPROV Rulebook on the Dog Scouts of America website www.dogscouts.org in the Competition & Titling section. Students of this class will receive a printed copy. Creative Dog - a fun way to use the clicker! Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. Creative Dog class is for students who want to learn more with their dog and have fun along the way. We'll use the clicker to teach a selection of useful skills as well as cool tricks. With the clicker you'll unleash your dog's natural talents, encouraging your dog to be creative in figuring out what you want him to do. Teach the fun stuff! Learn some tricks like Spin, Twirl (spin in the other direction), Shake paw, Back up, Sit up/beg, Jump through a hoop. As a fun demonstration of the skills you'll both learn, your dog will learn to Play a Musical Instrument! Teach the useful stuff! Go to Your Place / Go to the Agility Table (your choice), Targeting (dog will follow a target stick and/or go to and touch a target object on cue), Tolerating nail clipping (or other item/process of your choice), Advanced Leave-it (dog will walk by food, toys, or other coveted items on the floor on a loose leash or dragging his leash). Prerequisites: Dog and handler have completed at least one class together. This class is appropriate for handlers who have never used a clicker before but would like to learn, as well as handlers with some previous clicker experience.
Agility Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. Dog agility is a fascinating sport and a great way for pet owners and their dogs to develop a closer, positive relationship. While training agility, basic obedience control commands such as stay, sit, down and come are reinforced in a setting that is a great deal of fun for the dog and owners. Agility also gives the dog a healthy outlet for excess energy.
Canine Freestyle Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. We are now dancing with our dogs! Canine Freestyle (dancing with your dog) has been introduced in the training arena and is exciting and rewarding. The idea was inspired from equine dressage (where horse and rider move in unison) and figure skating. The sport came to the United States in the 90s and is still relatively new in many parts of the country. The objective of Freestyle is to present the dog to his best advantage in a creative and artistic manner. The Freestyle presentation is accompanied by music selected to suit the rhythms of the dog. In developing a routine, teamwork is of the utmost importance with the dog always being treated with honor and respect. In competition, freestyle is judged like figure skating with technical merit and artistic impression according to the divisions and levels. But teams do not have to compete. Owners find that this is a great way to exercise, bond, entertain and have fun with their dogs. Anyone and any dog of any age can do freestyle. Steppin' Woofs, the dancing dogs of Fieldwood, entertain in schools, nursing homes and community events.
DISCOVER YOUR DOG’S NATURAL TALENTS!!! Our plan is to teach you to understand your dog’s instincts and channel them into something positive for both of you. We will help you build a closer bond with your dog while building your dog’s confidence (or helping to contain it!). Some of the activities we’ll use to accomplish this are: the retrieve; working your dog’s scent skills; agility; a fieldtrip; freestyle dance and maze recalls. We will show you how your dog’s innate abilities can be directed in such a way that makes for a happy dog AND a happy owner.
Rally-O Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. Rally-O is a fun way to teach your dog obedience skills that will benefit you and your dog in many situations from walking in a crowd to running an agility course. A Rally course is performed with your dog heeling next to you from the start through a series of exercises at stations positioned throughout a course of approximately 15-20 different exercises consisting of sits, downs, spirals, and turns. One of the most exceptional features of Rally is the ability of the handlers to talk to their dogs, praising and encouraging them keeping enthusiasm high throughout the rally course.
Canine Good Citzen (CGC) Prerequisite - a basic class or P.K. In 1989 the American Kennel Club (AKC) developed the Canine Good Citizen program to reward and acknowledge dogs who have good manners at home and in the community, and owners who show responsible dog ownership. The program addresses 10 areas where manners count and to become an AKC Canine Good Citizen dogs are required to pass the 10-step CGC test. Passing dogs may receive a certificate from AKC and if the dog is registered with the AKC, the title of "CGC" after the dog's AKC registered name. Fieldwood's CGC class is especially designed to prepare you and your dog for success in the CGC program with exercises geared to address each step of the test. At the end of the session you can decide to take the CGC test given by one of Fieldwood's AKC certified CGC evaluators. Even if you decide not to take the test your dog will leave this class with better manners!
Private Sessions To jumpstart your dog's training before enrolling in a class or to discuss problems. Call (717) 243-4451 to set up a appointment.  Click
here for Current Schedule and Registration Form
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